Remember how she was
by Lucky67
Summary: Josephine Conte, searching the professor, will meet Albert Bridge strangely. - Albert Bridge belongs to Samanta, aka JACKSPICERCHASE. - Josephine Conte belongs to me, aka Lucky67. All rights reserved for two.


Josephine looked pretty lost in the halls of the Gressenelher university.

The young lady was searching the professor Hershel Layton, but she couldn't even remember how to quit the place. Her steps was resonating in the empty corridor.

Suddenly she was remembering that the professor already said where his office was...

« The fifth level, you will find me, Josephine. »

The fifth level... it was there. She looked at the first door it looked like an office.

She knocked : no response.

By curiousity she entered the room, and found a little bear. She looked at it by her big and red eyes, and after a little moment of hesitation, she hugged it. Five minutes later, she was seating on the couch, cuddling the bear and talking to it. She waited for the professor, but...

In fact, she entered in the professor Albert Bridge office. A elegant man was walking toward the corridor, and, arriving in front of the door. He heard a little girl's voice. Not used to have visitors, the professor Albert Bridge never liked when someone dare entering his office without allowing.

The man pushed to door and was prepared to yell a « Get out of here ! »-sentence, but... he seemed to be a bit shocked by his visitor.

A young girl was seating on the couch, cuddling and talking to a teddy bear. Had brown hairs and... a pair of bright, big, red eyes.

The daughter of Albert, Molly, died from an accident. And, she had... brown hairs, and some adorable red eyes. Plus, she was the possessor of the plush.

The man was standing, looking intensly at Josephine who stopped playing with the bear.

« Oh, crap... ! Professor Bridge, I'm so sorry ! I... I just entered in the wrong place ! », sputtered the young girl.

She looked at the plush and became white : she knew that the possessor was his deceased daughter, Molly. She fastly put the bear on the table, and turned her head at the professor, waiting for being yelled at. The expression of guiltiness on the face of Josephine changed to a confused face : the professor had... tears ?

The red eyes of the professor was wet, and soon, a sob escaped of him. He sat on the couch in silence and put his hands on his face, hiding the tears of a father who lost his daughter.

Josephine didn't knew what to do, to help someone sad, she always used the hugs, but... hugging a professor who doesn't even make attention to her, it would maybe be rude, insolent. So, she decided to make no risks and put her hand on his shoulder.

« I'm so sorry... It's all my fault... If only I wasn't that idiot to pick everything I find... Professor, would you like to talk ? It will rest between us if you wish it. » Josephine said.

No response. Josephine was scared of being hated by Albert, because she always wanted to be more close to him.

« Professor... » insisted the girl.

« What do you want ? » Replied the professor, starting to calm down.

« I'm sorry. Please, don't hate me, I don't wanted to bring you sad at all ! »

« I'm not gonna hate a girl who looks like Molly. »

The young girl raised her head at the Albert, her eyes wide open.

« … Sorry ? » asked Josephine, not sure if she listened correctly.

« You have the same red eyes. The same brown hair. The same expression when you play with that bear. »

Josephine was now shocked. She knew that the professor Bridge had a daughter named Molly who was the possessor of the plush and died by an accident, but she didn't know that she was bit looking like her. Albert picked up a picture from his jacket and showed it : a cute and young girl was playing with a bear plush, smiling and looking at it.

« Oh... »

« You see ? She died a long moment ago. But when I see you, I can't stop to think at her. » declared Albert.

« It means... that I must go, now ? » asked the girl.

« No, please. Rest here. »

It's the first time that Josephine hear the professor asking her to rest. But well, it didn't bothered her at all. She sat next to him, and tried her best to calm down. Albert stopped crying, and he looked at the young girl who started to be nervous being with an other professor has always been awkward for her.

« So, how old are you ? » asked Albert, to start the conversation.

« I am 11 years old. »

« I see. Molly was 4 when she... she... » Albert didn't finished his sentence.

« Really ? She was really young. And she was cute, too ! » Replied the girl who didn't wanted to bring down Albert again.

At that moment, a familiar voice came from the corridor.

« Josephine ? »

That was Layton. Josephine instinctively raised her head, and the steps of the professor came in front of the door of Bridge's office. He knocked, asking if the professor Bridge was there.

Albert replied a neutral « Come in. ». From the end of the conversation to now, he was looking down at his feets, his hair hiding his face.

Hershel Layton entered the room and found the professor Bridge here, Josephine to him.

« What is happening here ? » Asked Layton, looking a tad confused.

« Oh, nothing. Isn't it, professor Bridge, huh ? Nothing, yes, nothing. » Replied fastly the young girl.

« Yes, nothing happened. » Said the professor Bridge. He stood up and turned to the professor Layton. The trio left the room and walked in the halls of the university.

« Is she your assistant ? » asked Albert.

« No, I'm just in charge of her, as she follow me in my adventures. » Replied Layton.

« Well... okay. Josephine is an agreeable girl. It wouldn't bother me if she come back here. » Albert finished, before they arrived to the portal of Gressenheler.

Albert stared intensively at Josephine a last time, and smiled at her.

« Young girl, it was a chance to meet you. See you. » The professor Bridge said politely.

« S-Same for me, sir ! I hope I'll see you again ! Goodbye ! » Josephine happily replied before quitting the university. Layton said goodbye too, and he followed the young girl.


End file.
